Regional and local leaders have signaled their acceptance of Haider al-Abadi as the leading candidate for prime minister. Also, the U.S. military is sending 130 more troops to Iraq. At least 268 people were killed, mostly militants, and 83 were wounded.
Politics:
Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia have all welcomed the selection of Haider al-Abadi as premier-designate. More importantly, internal groups seem to have accepted him as well. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a Shi’ite militia group that has been fighting alongside the Iraqi Army, issued a statement that basically called on outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to stop clinging to power. Another militia, the Badr Corps, appears to support Abadi as well. Kurdish President Massoud Barzani also conveyed his support.
Police and military troops have trimmed down their numbers in Baghdad and notified Abadi of their allegiance. Maliki himself seems to have accepted his fate. Abadi now has thirty days in which to form the new government and be approved by parliament.
The U.S. government sent 130 "assessors" to supplement those troops already in Iraq. Their official duty will be to determine what is needed for the humanitarian effort.
A helicopter overloaded with Yazidi refugees crashed shortly after takeoff from Mount Sinjar. The pilot was killed in the crash. Among the injured were M.P. Vian Dakhil and two New York Times journalists, one of them only slightly injured. Seventeen others were also injured.
Fighting:
In Baghdad, a car bomb exploded near the Abadi family home in the Karrada district, where it killed 13 people and wounded about 46 more; Abadi lives primarily in the Green Zone. But as first responders arrived, crowds turned on them, possibly thinking that corrupt police allowed the car bombers into the neighborhood on orders of P.M. Maliki. Many policemen apparently then took off their uniforms and ran away.
Also in the capital, a sticky bomb killed two civilians and wounded five more in the Zaafaraniya district. A bomb in the Sadr City suburb wounded three people. One unidentified body was found.
A militant killed six members of his own family in Saidiya.
An official from the Justice and Accountability office in Basra was involved in a battle in Falluja, where he was killed.
A clash in Hamdaniya left 16 militants dead and nine tribesmen wounded.
Security forces killed 89 militants in Adhaim.
At least 73 militants were killed in a U.S. airstrike near Sinjar.
Fifty militants were killed during operations in Tuz.
In al-Sger, nine militants were killed.
An operation in Darieiya left five militants dead.
Security forces in Muqdadiya killed two militants.
A number of militants were killed in Albu Hayrat.
In Saqlawiya, airstrikes killed many militants.
